Metallic furniture.



e. W B100Ks. METALLIC FURNITURE. APPLICATION I'ILED MABIB, 1912.

Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WTE

l Je 3 G. W. BROOKS.

METALLIC FURNITURE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 1912.

` 1,052,794. Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

citizen of the United States ofk America, and

- GEORGE W. BROOKS, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.`

METALLIC FURNITURE.

Specicationof Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1 1, 1913.

Application filed` March 18,` 1912. SerialNol 684,470.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I,GEORGE W. BROOKS, a

resident of Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in -Metallic Furniture, of which the following is a specification.

This inventlonrelates. to metallic ture, such as sectional unit iiling devices, and it has for its objects among others to provide a simple and improved construction equipped with a locking device for fastening the sections or units together so that they cannot become vdetached by accident and by means of which different sections may be taken out or removed without danger of the other sections coming' apart or disturbing their contents in any way. The device is simple in the extreme and sections may be put together or any one of them removed with ease, the sections locating themselves' as they are placed together and the lock being positive in its action.

I construct the unit of a single piece of metalwhich is given the shape desired and provided with stiii'ening ribs, those at the top of theunit. forming guides for the movably mounted locking bars.-

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out, in the appended claims.

The invention is capable of embodiment in a variety of forms and the locking device is applicable to various forms of sectional furniture such as vertical letter vtiles, or cases of any description requiring a simple and substantial locking device. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not to be restricted to the sectional devices of the specific character herein illustrated, those own being merely for the purpose ofv demonstrating the practicability of the device forming the sub]ect matter of the present invention and as in no way attempting to set up all of the modes of use thereof.

The invention in such forms as 1t has beenv deemed advisable lto show is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the numeralsl of reference marked thereon, form a part cation, and in which-` Figure 1 is a side elevation showing two sections or units fastened together by-my improved Vlocking means. Fig. 2 is an enof this speciv larged detail vertical; section on the line 2 2 of Fig. I1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 isa section on the .line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is ank enlarged perspective detail of one lof thel locking also a portion of the barv which is employed for the purpose of connecting such bar with the one upon the opposite, side. Fig. 5 is a to plan View, of one of the sections or units. Fig. 6 is a front elevation. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several'views.

Referring to the drawings :--1 designates one of the sections or units. In forming this unit I take a single piece of sheet met-al and by suitable manipulation and machinery and devices,.I shape and bend it vso as to `form from the one sheetthe two sides and the'back of the section or unit. The top edges of the sides are formed with stitlening ribs 2 which forni recesses or guides for a purpose which will hereinafter appear and these ribs, which are hollow, have extending inwardly therefrom the Hanges 3 to which the top plate 4 is designed` upper edge' is formed with a stiiiening rib 7 from which extends the inwardly disposed ange k8 which yreceives the rivets or other suitable means- 9 lwhich are employed for securing the top -plate 4- firmly in position at the-back. The front edges of the sides are formed with the strengthening ribs 10 and at the back with similar stiiiening ribs 11. 'Ihe back at the bottom is formed with a stijieningrib 12 and the sides at the bottom are formed with stiii'eningribs 13 terminating vin the inwardly extending ianges 14, upon which rests the bottom plate 15 designed to be secured-thereto in any suitable manner. The bottom Aplate is formed with the upwardly -extended ribs 16, as seen in Figs. Gand 7,which not only strengthen the same, but which serve as partitions or divison plates, for which latter purpose they may be used, if desired. The bottom ribs 13' of the sides are-formed with longitudi-l bars showing can be set up by unskilled'lab'orand when lcomplete is well braced mounted uponthe top of the next adjacentH section and which locking devices project through the slots 6 of the stitiening ribs 2 at the top of the section or unit. v A section 1 or unit thus yconstructed will be foundv strong, light, not liable to warp or twist and as it can be madeof any size, shape or capacity, requiring only the addition of a thin top and bottom plate to complete the section, it will readily be seen that the same indestructible. j

For *locking adjacent sections or umts together,-I employ a locking bar 18 upon each side, each bar being mounted for movement within the guiding rib 2 and the two bars connected at the front end by a transverse bar 19secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by rivets 20, see Fig. 3. Each bar has one or more locking hooks or latches- 20 projecting from. its upperface and eX-' tending ,preferably toward the front of the unit or section. l These hooks may be formed lin any suitablel manner, for instance, they may be struck from'the bar and'bent up at j right angles thereto, as indicated in Fig. 4,

where 21 designatesV the s ace or opening left in the bar by the cutting away of the material to form such hooks or latches, although it 4is evident that these may be formed in other ways, as, forinstance, being made separate and riveted to the bar 18, which I should consider the full equivalent .of the form of construction shown in Fig.

4. These bars are mounted for sliding movement within the ribs 2 with the hooks 20.n proj ectin through, the openings 6 in such side sti ening ribs. These strengthening ribs 2 have'the'material which is struck up to form the openingv 6' bentI inwardly from opposite sides forming the guiding anges 22 which engage 'in the4 guiding grooves 23 formed in the opposite sides of the hook or latch 20, as seen best in Fig. 2.

24.- is a screw having its inner end engaged in a threaded opening in ay lug 25 projecting upward from the cross bar 19 which connects the two bars 1 8, this-screw being mounted Vfor free rotation within any upstanding iange 26 at the front of the unit or section at the top.' Manipulation of this screw controls the backward and forward movement of the bars 18, as will'y be readily understood.y This screw further serves for securing the locking bars I, in position as x well as permitting their release.

27 are springs preferably in .the iform of substantially flat springs, one arranged near each end of the bar 19, each sprin having 4 one end seated in a kerf or the li e 28 in the bar 19 and the other end slightly bent, as at 29, and engaged in the liange 26 at the top of the front of the unit,.as indicated clearly in Fig.l 5. These springs tend' to `and is .practically automatically keep the hooks in their locked position whether th screw be in its loose or tight condition.

It desired, t-he bars 18 maybe provided at .their rear ends with the lugs or flanges 30 tolimit their forward movement, valthough this is not necessary.

The r'aised'edges or guiding members 22 serve as guides or steady pins and locate the different sections in "their proper vposi- 1.'

tion, so they can be' readily latched. Upon reference to Fig53, it willy bev lseen that the hooks 20 which'project through the openings between these guide anges '22, will, when the bar p18 is moved in the direction of the arrow seen in Fig. 3,.engage over the adjacent face 82 of the top rib 2 fof the one section and the-bottom wall`31 of the bottom rib 13 ofthe upper section and that when thus engaged, the sections cannotmove relatively to each other in yany direction and that they are firmly held in position. Movement of ,the cross'bar 19, and, iconseuently, the side bars v18, toward thel rearl isengages the hooksV from lthe cooperating portions'of the vtwo sections or units, when the latter can be readily'separated.

From the foregoing, it will be seen thatI have devised a novel form "of unit or section, as well as etlicient locking means for adjacent sections or units,'and` while the structural embodiment of theY invention as herelnbefore disclosed is what I at this time consider preferable, it is evident that the same is subject to changes', variations and modifications without-departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of .its advantages. I, therefore, do notwish to restrict myselfto `the precise construct-ion, proportion ot parts, etc., as hereinbefore disclosed, but reserve the iright to make such changes, variations. and modifications as come properly within the scope of the protection prayed.,

the back and front edges .and the back formed at its upper edge with `a stiiiening rib with inwardly dis osedflange, said sides having hollow stiii'ening ribs at their upper edges provided with longitudinally disposed openings. y 1

3. A pressed 'sheet metal sectional unit comprising a back and sides formedl from one integral element,l the top edges of the sides beingformed with hollow stiifening ribs provided with longitudinally disposed openings in their upper walls and with inwardly extending flanges and the back at its upper edge formed with a stiffening rib with inwardly disposed flange.

4. A pressed sheet metal sectional unit embodying a back and sides in one integral element, the top edges of said sides being formed with hollow stiifening ribs with inwardly extending flanges, the back being formed at its upper edge with a stiffening rib with an inwardly extending fiange and at the bottom with a stiffening rib, the sides being formed also at the bottom with stiffening ribs having inwardly extending flanges.

5. A sectional unit embodying a back and sides in one inte'ral element, said sides having hollow stiigening ribs at their upper ends, said ribs being provided with longitudinally disposed openings, combinedwith fastening means movable in said hollow ribs and having members projecting through said openings. Y

- 6. A sectional unit embodying a back and sides in one integral element, said sides having hollow stiffening ribs at their upper ends, said ribs being provided with longitudinally disposed openings, combined with fastening means movable in said hollow ribs and having members projecting through said openings, said members being of hook form. v

,7. A sectional unit embodying a back and sides in one integral element, said sides having hollow stiffening ribs at their upper ends, said ribs being provided with longitudinally disposed openings, combined with fastening means movable in said hollow ribs and havingmeinbers projecting through said openings, said members being of hook form, said openings having oppositely disposed guiding flanges.

8. A sectional unit embodying a back and sides in one integral element, said sides having hollow stifening ribs at their upper ends, said ribs being provided with longitudinally disposed openings, combined with fastening means movable in said hollow ribs and having members rojecting through said openings, said mem ers being of hook form, said openings having oppositely disposed guiding fianges and the hook member having grooves coperating therewith.

9. A sectional unit, the sides of which are provided at their upper ends with hollow stiffening ribs having openings and at the bottom with hollow stiffening ribs having openings, combined with movably mounted bars in the top ribs and provided-with hook members movable through the openings thereof for coperation with the openings in the bottom ribs of an adjacent unit.

10. A sectional unit having hollow ribs at the 'sides at the top and provided with openings, bars movable in said ribs and having hook members projecting through said openings, and means connecting the front ends of said bars.

11. A sectional unit having hollow ribs at,k

ings, means connecting the front ends of said bars, and a spring acting on said connecting means.

12. A sectional unit having khollow ribs i at the sides at the top and provided with openings, bars movable in said ribs and having hook members projecting through said openings, means connecting the front ends of said bars, and a controlling device adjustably connected with said connecting means.

13; A sectional unit having hollow ribs at the sides at the top and provided with openings, bars movable in said ribs and having hook members projecting through said openings, means connecting the front ends of said bars, a controlling device adjustably connected with said connecting means, and springs upon opposite sides of said controlling device acting upon said connecting means.

' Signed by me at Topeka, Kansaspthis 8th day of March 1912.

GEORGE W. BROOKS.

- Witnesses: l

HENRY K. BROOKS, FRED. COCHRAN. 

